1. Field of The Invention
The invention relates to interface means for use with stacked memory card connector assembly, particularly to an elongated socket having contact tails therein for SMT (Surface Mount Technology) on a PC board on which such socket and an adjacent stacked memory card connector assembly are seated wherein such socket is spaced from such memory card connector assembly, and mechanically and electrically interconnects the contacts of the upper connector of such memory card connector assembly.
2. The Prior Art
Memory card connectors are popularly used in the recent years because miniaturization and flexibility of the computer are the trends in the computer industry. It is common for the computer manufacturer to arrange two memory cards in a vertically close relationship in usage for saving the space in the computer, and therefore, obviously such two memory card connectors which are adapted to receive the corresponding two closely spaced memory cards therein, respectively, are designedly stacked together vertically in compliance with the configuration of such two closely spaced memory cards.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,149,276, 5,176,523, 5,286,207, 5,290,174 and 5,318,452 disclose two memory cards stacked together in a vertical direction for reception of two corresponding memory cards therein; Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,810,203, 5,324,204 and 5,334,046 also disclose two-unit memory card connector assembly enclosed in a unitary housing for reception of two corresponding memory cards therein. It should be understood that because the dimension of the contact gets tinier and tinier, it is uneasy to directly precisely bend the tails of the contacts of the upper connector in place with regard to the PC board on which such connector assembly is mounted. In other words, the vertical distance between the upper connector and the PC board increases uncertainty of the true position of the tails of the contacts of the upper connector. Without any auxiliary device to align the tails of the upper connector, the defect ratio may be increased due to misalignment of the contact tails of the upper connector; otherwise, the strict precision of the manufacturing process may be required that substantially increases the cost. To avoid the aforementioned disadvantages, most stacked type connector assemblies include auxiliary devices for aligning the tails of the upper connectors regardless of whether they are the memory card type connector or the other types. In some Input/Output connectors, some means which electrically and mechanically connect the contact tails of the upper connector to the corresponding traces of the PC board are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,818,239, 4,878,856, 5,044,984, 5,080,609, 5,085,590, 5,267,876 and 5,336,109.
As shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,207 (having the same assignee with the invention) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,046 which belong to memory card connectors, or U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,818,239, 4,878,856, 5,044,984, 5,080,609, 5,085,590 and 5,267,876 which belong to Input/Output connectors, most such auxiliary alignment devices are required to be operatively attached, integrally or separately, to the connector housing for fastening said auxiliary alignment device in place. Accordingly, generally the housing of the lower connector needs to include an extended rear portion to incorporate such auxiliary alignment device. In other words, it is required to make another special mold for manufacturing such extended connector housing instead of a common set of mold which is adapted to manufacture the general standard connector.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an independent auxiliary alignment socket for use with a memory card connector assembly including a pair of single memory card connectors stacked together in a vertical direction. Such alignment socket substantially has no relation to the connector housing so that it is unnecessary to make another specific mold for the lower connector to incorporate such socket. Thus, the cost of manufacturing can be saved.